The 'Mocs' prepare to play hockey on the same ice as their heroes.
TAMPA, Fla. - Some Bay Area kids are taking their love for the Tampa Bay Lightning onto the ice at Amalie Arena.
Children who play hockey for the Lakeland Junior Moccasins, or the Mocs, say they are Bolts fanatics who love watching the boys in blue.
"I like Vic Hedman," said Grayson, a young hockey fan. "He is a really good defensemen and I think I can be like him too."
The ‘Mocs’ is a Bay Area off-shoot of the college team, which welcomes both boys and girls.
After showing off their muscles, the kids took their enthusiasm for the Bolts onto the same ice as their hockey heroes for an intramural game during the first intermission of the Bolts preseason game against the Florida Panthers.
A member of the 'Mocs' gets ready to take the ice.
"We're able to come out here and skate on the same ice, same day, the same night that these other pros and their absolute heroes are skating, it's just it's a dream come true," said Coach Keith Sumner.
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In honor of the occasion, some kids dressed as their favorite Lightning players of the past and present.
Before the kids took the ice, they got to watch the Bolts in action during a pre-game warm-up.
The 'Mocs' cheer on their favorite Lightning players.
"This is their first time as a team going to a Bolts game," explained Coach Sumner. "And then they get to play five on five where we're pitting them against each other, which should be very interesting."
After a quick cheer, the team took to the ice and made ‘Mocs’ history.